


A Sense of Humour

by eclecticbass



Category: Chrono Trigger
Genre: F/M, Gen, Magus gets a happy ending!, Medieval Medicine, Prehistoric BBQ, Sickfic, Strong Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-10 15:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15294831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eclecticbass/pseuds/eclecticbass
Summary: “We have all the time in the world,” Lucca reminded him through gritted teeth, knowing damn well Crono had very little time left. Ineffective healing magic and dangerous attempts at bloodletting would not prolong his life. Perhaps it would make more sense simply to kill him.A story of medieval medical misconceptions, the inability to take prehistoric badasses seriously, running out of batteries, a spooky scary skeleton, Lucca's lack of energy for everyone's bullshit, prehistoric barbecue, "animal" abuse in heavy quotation marks, and Magus receiving a happy ending. Whether the ending can be construed as happy for any other character is anyone's guess.





	1. Chapter 1

“I hope you don’t intend to _eat_ those,” Lucca remarked, raising her eyebrows at the collection of leeches Frog had accumulated on the shore. The waters near the Ioka camp, she remembered, were generally fine for swimming or bathing, and to have found more than a single leech would have taken half an hour. The pile- a dozen, at least- writhed and squirmed, causing Lucca to shudder and opt to look at Frog instead. “Kino and a few others hunted down a boar for dinner. Really, there’s no need to resort to-”

“I believed you to be joking. Of course it was never my intent to eat them. Marle’s healing magic thus far has been ineffective, has it not? I intend to try a remedy from my time. I cannot trust cavemen to attempt any healing practices on Crono; they might smash his skull in.” Rolling his eyes, Frog laid a handkerchief down and carefully folded the leeches into a sac. “I don’t believe I’ll find any more here. This will have to do.”

“They just might,” Lucca conceded, “but Marle would at least be able to solve _that_.” She sighed, the sound drowned out by the rushing water. “If she brought herself to try. She’s grown depressed by her inability to help and wanted me to leave. I’ll accompany you back, though.”

The return trip was long and insects that must later have evolved into mosquitoes bit them as they traversed the forests. It was not necessary to speak, as both were at a loss for how Crono had become so ill or how he could be cured. Bloodletting was a last effort for the desperate group, because they could not travel to a more advanced time unless Crono was able to make it through the portals or onto the Epoch. Lucca didn’t like it, and she suspected neither would anyone else, but at least Frog had come up with an idea when no one else had.

“Lucca back! Frog back!” Ayla seemed to notice the moment they stepped into her territory. Perhaps it was instinctive as the chief, Frog suspected. Perhaps she could smell them, Lucca grimly hypothesized.

She also seemed to notice immediately that the sac was moving. “Frog bring Ayla present? Taste good?” she guessed. “Smaller, less talking frog?”

“Ladies and their fascination with consuming leeches! I shall never understand you,” he replied, visibly concerned. “Is my lord Crono awake?”

Almost violently, Ayla’s mess of hair shook back and forth. “But Crono hut, okay come. Friends there.” She scampered towards it, leaving Frog and Lucca little choice but to follow, wondering whether Marle had indeed returned to try again.

It was a guest room near Ayla’s larger hut, though no one was quite sure what sort of guests Ayla had expected. It was a bit of an upgrade to the standard huts, its size sufficient for a firepit to blaze in the centre. Lucca did not trust the fire safety measures of cavemen any more than Frog believed in their medical expertise, however, and had insisted Frog, Marle, or, if no one else, Magus be present at all times if they were to light it. Being that Frog had just entered behind her, it was clear none of them had been. Her jaw clenched for a moment and she reassured herself first that nothing had happened and second that Robo would have carried Crono out if sparks had flown.

“My attempts to convey the uselessness of a fire when Crono’s temperature is normal have been in vain,” Robo answered before Lucca could point out the lack of a water magic-user. “Marle will not speak to me and I did not know the whereabouts of you or Magus. Failing this, my only option was to keep watch over the room. My batteries are running low, however.”

“No charging stations in this time period, can’t do much…” Lucca muttered. “It’s alright, we’re back now. If you’d like to power down for a night, I’ll wake you if anything interesting happens.”

“Your ideas are constantly impressive, but this one strikes me as genius.” Lucca had no time to respond before Robo pressed his power button.

 _He must have been exhausted_ , she mused, folding his limbs and setting him against the wall. _And absolutely trusting_. He would not wake up on his own, but did not need to think twice to know she would be true to her word.

“Ayla kiss Crono many time. Robo try heal Crono too. Nothing,” the Ioka chief spoke, sounding uncharacteristically empty. “But not give up! What present Frog bring?”

“Dislike me not, but these are leeches. I expect it is not a prevalent method as of now, but bloodletting shall balance his humours and set him right.”

“Crono sense of humour not problem!” Ayla countered. “Frog sadistic if think this joke!”

She crouched with her hands slowly flexing and curling into fists, prepared to fight him if he dared to lay a leech on Crono. Frog’s webbed hands did not even inch toward the hilt of the Masamune. “You forget I come from a time millions of years ahead of you in medical progress. You would do well to acknowledge this. I fear Crono will awaken, should we argue.”

“He’s already awake,” Lucca cut in, silencing the others. Crono weakly waved a hello. “My guess would be speaking hurts him, and for the same reason, he’d rather not move.”

The fire in Ayla’s eyes died down, allowing room for something more sympathetic. Their solutions differed, but pain was a universal experience.

“My apologies, lord Crono.” Frog’s voice was gentle and sincere, despite knowing it had not been his voice to awaken Crono. “But I suppose it is necessary for him to be lucid, if we are to use bloodletting. He ought to know what we are doing.” He set the handkerchief down and the edges folded outwards to show the same squirming bloodsuckers.

Ayla, reluctantly accepting the method, crawled to Crono’s other side and took his hand. “No watch. Looks gross.”

“Yes… it does,” Lucca agreed, standing and stepping back. “It’s- hot in here, I think, I’m going to step outside.”

“Perhaps I am the pot calling the kettle black, but don’t you seem a bit green?”

Failing to reply, Lucca made her way outside. In no universe could she fathom watching someone- even Frog- allowing _leeches_ to suck on Crono’s extremities. No, she wasn’t going back inside. She wasn’t going to move an inch until she could get the hell out and was confident her stomach would not flip.

Maybe she would try to find Marle. It was possible she had stayed in the meeting grounds, but Lucca suspected she would have preferred to preserve her vanity and escape the public eye to cry. She was not merely ashamed, Lucca knew. For at least a month Lucca had caught her stealing dreamy glances at Crono when they slept. Crono meant everything to them, but somehow _more_ than everything to Marle, and if Crono did not survive she was sure Marle would blame herself and follow suit.

Several Ioka men and women were crowding around another fire in the meeting grounds, roasting the boar Kino had proudly shot, but Marle was not present. Nor was she in Ayla’s home or the trading hut. Lucca hated to think she had run off into the forest alone, hated more to think that would grant her the most privacy, and hated most that Magus was the familiar face she spotted first.


	2. Chapter 2

“Let him die,” Magus commented offhandedly, not for a moment taking his eyes off the sickle he was sharpening against a rock. It was deadly sharp to begin with, capable of slicing through five bodies without a hitch. Boredom must have gotten to him. “The weak perish, the strong live on. Fighting this is but a waste of time.”

“We have all the time in the world,” Lucca reminded him through gritted teeth, watching her words for a lack of want to be caught between a sickle and a sharp place. “After helping us save Crono’s life the first time, I didn’t expect you to disagree with our attempts now.”

“Mm,” Magus purred. “You _would_ think that.”

Awaiting his explanation proved fruitless. “I would. Tell me why I shouldn’t.”

“Has he shown himself to be a worthwhile companion? A useful team member? Capable of something none of the rest of us are?” The edge of his blade scraped against the rock, a grating, metallic sound. “Finish my thought.”

“You intend to say no.”

“You _are_ a smart one. Seems your friends are right about that.” Magus straightened his blade and flicked his index finger against the tip. It bled immediately, and he seemed pleased. “You’re looking for the princess.”

“Marle.”

“Nadia. She stormed down this path. Seemed absolutely pissed. I believe there’s a cave nearby.” Seeing no reason to abuse the edge of his scythe any longer, he sheathed it and began to walk away.

“Magus?” He glanced back, uninterested. “Thank you.”

“Don’t.”

 _So not only are his motives questionable, he is eternally frustrating to boot,_ Lucca sighed as she began her trek into the forest glade to which he had gestured. _Is it worth it for a few helpful moments here and there?_ She had been the one to convince Frog to accept his companionship in the first place, but questioned the decision every time they spoke.

The forest was cool and somewhat damp in the evening air. It would be a nightmare not to find Marle by sundown. She supposed she ought to find the cave Magus mentioned, despite the nagging feeling he was leading her toward some beast she was not powerful enough to take on by herself. She could only hope to hear the difference.

Already she could not see the opening through which she entered the forest. A shiver ran through her spine, and she took a moment to summon a small flame. It might make her easier to spot, but the warmth, light, and protection from mosquitoes were well worth it. The smoke blended into the fog, however, so she would not be visible from afar.

The longer Lucca tread forth, seeing neither the entrance nor the cave, the more nervous she became. Magus might well have lied about seeing Marle, and she would not put it past him to mislead her. She was exhausted but relieved when the cave came into view, and leaned against the outside, listening for quiet tears, deep growling, or…

Clattering?

From behind her, it seemed. She spun around and was met with the blade of a small skeletal monster. Its scythe cut into her stomach before she could even think to attack. Adrenaline rushed through her, giving her enough strength to fire a point-blank bullet through its skull before sliding down to sit, her back against the cave wall. Weakly, she covered the wound with one arm in a pathetic attempt to prevent blood loss.

“Marle!” she cried out, resonating through the forest. There was no point in keeping silent now. In the event there was something awful in the cave, it would at least finish her off quickly. The worst thing would be if nothing had heard her. She could feel the warm blood spilling past her arm and closed her eyes.

Something moved her arms aside, exposing the wound. It did not occur to her that it would be better to keep it covered. Soft hands replaced them though, sealing the edges together to leave nothing but a scar.

“I could clean the blood off, but you’d be cold and wet.” Marle kicked the bones aside, and Lucca flinched at the sound. Gradually gaining awareness, she noticed that even the tear in her clothes was gone.

“Thank you.”

“Why were you out here in the first place?”

“Hypocrite. I was looking for _you_.”

Marle sighed. “Fair. Do you need a hand getting up?” she asked, extending hers. A radiant light seemed to linger around them even after she finished casting a spell. Lucca had never dared mention how regal it made her look. She accepted, not entirely sure if she was still weak from blood loss. She was, the lightheadedness told her, but she was still steady on her feet.

“So how _did_ you find me?”

“Magus-”

“That son of a _bitch_.”

Marle’s expression shifted to a burning ire. Confused and concerned, Lucca dared not comment. Was she really that upset Magus led her in the right direction, or…?

“Magus cursed him. Think about it. There must be a reason nothing we’ve done has worked. I can’t heal him. Ayla and Robo couldn’t either. Do you really think Magus couldn’t have cast some dark magic to prevent us from healing him? It would be _so fucking easy_ for him.” Dreaded tears streamed down her cheeks again. She did not bother to rub them away.

Had Lucca really not seen it? Everything seemed to click into place: why else would Magus say it was a waste of time to heal him? Why would he suggest they just let them die? “There must be something that can be done, even if…”

“You don’t know that.” Marle's voice was tired and numb.

“I don’t,” Lucca assented. “But if you’re right, ‘nothing whatsoever’ is precisely what Magus would like us to do about it.”


	3. Chapter 3

[High temperatures detected.] Robo’s sensors flashed warnings in the corner of his vision. [High levels of carbon monoxide detected.] [High levels of carbon dioxide detected.] [High temperatures detected.] [High levels of carbon monox-]

Past the flashing alerts, Robo saw Frog shaking his shoulder, pounding fists against his chest plate, jostling his connections. “Come on, wake up! We’ve not much time ‘till we’re burnt to ash, and I've not the strength to carry Crono alone!”

True to his word, Crono was draped partially over Frog’s shoulders, pale as a ghost and limp as a dead flower. More pressingly, though, the fire once contained in the pit in the centre of the hut had spread to the wooden supports. Robo leapt up, taking Crono in one arm and rushing out of the hut.

“Stand back- _further_ back,” Frog insisted. Robo obeyed, despite every line of code in his programming telling him to bring Frog out of the hut and away from danger. Instead, he held Crono to his chest and walked backward. This was a bad idea, he reasoned. Lucca would dismantle him if she found out he had not saved Frog, despite being fully capable of doing so.

Within seconds, though, a rush of water cascaded from the sky, quenching the flames entirely. A pool formed around the base of the hut, and miscellaneous pieces of wood and blades of grass floated on the water’s surface. Frog pushed a fallen support aside and stepped out of the destroyed hut. Robo felt inclined to applaud, but dared not move his arms and risk dropping Crono.

“I suppose Lucca was right in saying I ought to watch over the fire,” Frog commented numbly, wading out of the destruction. “Are you or Crono burnt?”

“I have suffered no injury,” Robo replied, taking a moment to analyze Crono’s condition. “Crono- Crono is- these are not burn wounds.” He gestured speechlessly to one of the leech bites inflicted on Crono. How long had he been powered off? Crono seemed, somehow, more drained than the almost lifeless condition he had left him in. Surely Frog would not sit idly as Crono was attacked?

“Of course not. Those are the marks from his bloodletting. I may be no doctor, but we supposed it better to try than-”

“You used _bloodletting_!?” Robo cut in. “You wounded him _further_?”

“Ridiculous folly. I made an attempt to cure him. Our previous attempts were unsuccessful, so I thought to try something different.”

This time, Robo remained silent for several seconds. “Your methods provoke imminent bacterial infection, force Crono’s immune system to focus on restoring lost blood rather than on his prior illness, and have only a 0.01% chance of improving his condition. This information was not available in 600 AD- I understand that. But know that it is unacceptable now for other humans- including yourself- to so much as _touch_ Crono. I will handle diagnoses and treatments from this point forward, as I have access to the most recent medical database of the most advanced time among us. Nothing is to be done without consulting me first.”

Frog dared not speak a word or even step forward when Robo turned to walk away. Crono’s face was visible over Robo’s shoulder, but his greyish tone and sunken eyes indicated he was not even aware anything had happened. Frog’s only solace was his certainty that Robo would have told him if he could not feel a heartbeat.

Knowing each of the Ioka huts was occupied by at least a small family, though, made it difficult for Robo to calculate where to take Crono. The meeting grounds were constantly filled with people- likely none of whom were sanitary. And though Ayla would likely have no qualms with them using her hut, if anyone was likely to touch Crono, it was her.

The Epoch. Of course. The seats could recline into makeshift beds, the protective glass would help prevent further infection, and the air inside could be purified. It was not too far from the camp, either: merely far enough that cavemen should not stumble upon it and destroy any crucial parts. He had just barely enough power remaining to make it there, and it had a charging port, giving him a fantastic chance to restore himself.

He began walking, ensuring his settings would save battery by all means possible and scanning the medical database downloaded to his hard drive. He narrowed down the search based on the symptoms he remembered seeing before he last powered down, and found…

Nothing. Many entries were close, but each had a caveat that convinced Robo it could not be the one. He sighed, leaving the database to scan his surroundings.

Odd. No trace of the Epoch. Beginning to distrust his visual scanners, he tried his long-range metal detector. Once again he came up short.

An alert flashed in the corner of his vision once again, but rather than a warning of fire, this told him he had only ten minutes of battery life remaining. This was the truly startling one. He had no proper diagnosis? He would find one. The Epoch was nowhere to be found? Likely Lucca had taken it for a ride. But to have failed to keep Crono safe and to leave him far from any other help was unacceptable. He began to sprint. Nine minutes and forty seconds remained.

“Frog!” he called out as soon as he was within hearing distance. “I have only one minute of power remaining. I have no choice but to leave you with Crono and a minor problem. The Epoch has disappeared.”

“I may already have your solution. So has Ayla.”


	4. Prehistoric Barbecue

Marle marched into the Ioka meeting grounds, Lucca trailing, still vaguely lightheaded, behind her. Though many had scattered to look for their chief, a few Ioka tribe members- mainly women with their children- had opted to stay behind and eat, now that the boar was ready. Magus sat among them.

“You’re the same Fiendlord you always were,” Marle growled. “Self-serving… uncaring…”

“I beg your pardon? There _is_ more food, you realize?”

“Oh, try to act innocent! We know you’ve cursed Crono, give it up!” Marle stepped forward. Magus stood up. Lucca crept toward the roast, starved and hoping not to be involved.

“What proof have you?” Magus prompted.

“Lucca just told me all you’ve said about leaving him to die. You claimed he’s not worth saving- you said it’s a waste of time. Lucca!” Marle snapped. She flinched backward, nearly falling into the fire pit.

Magus scoffed, sitting down. “Circumstantial, second-hand evidence from a lightheaded witness. A convincing case, most certainly.” He returned to his meal. “And if I did call it a waste of time, what of it? Do you truly believe it is possible to save him?”

“I believe it is worth it to try,” Marle countered.

“You’re delusional.”

“You’re a murderer!”

Magus shrugged, felt for the hilt of a knife in his belt, and tossed it at the roast. It struck several inches from Lucca’s hand. “You’ll get nowhere trying to tear a piece off. Go on.”

“Look me in the eye! Princess’ orders!” Marle commanded, indignant. Raising an eyebrow, he obeyed. “And tell me with a straight face you wouldn’t be able to curse him!”

“That would be a lie. But you understand that if I truly wanted to kill him, I would have finished him off by now. I’d have no reason to prolong this charade.”

“So you’re fully capable of-”

“Of course I am! You learn such things when you’ve nothing to do but train to fight Lavos. Have you seriously nothing better to do?” He caught the hilt of his knife when Lucca tossed it back to him, and laid it on the ground. “Were you trying to hit me?”

She did not reply, instead tugging the back of Marle’s top to pull her away from him. “Marle, come on. We’ve gotta go back to Crono’s hut.”

“You’ll have trouble with that. It’s been destroyed.”

With determined ignorance, Lucca dragged Marle for a few steps until she began to follow on her own. Crono’s hut was not visible from the meeting grounds, so Lucca preferred to see it for herself rather than blindly listen to Magus.

She held a slice of pork out to Marle and took a bite from a second one. “How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”

“I… don’t remember,” Marle admitted, accepting the meat ravenously. _It must have been a long time,_ Lucca remarked, _considering she was used to meals fit for royalty. Then again, so too was Magus, wasn’t he? Maybe the rations did not satisfy their royal appetites,_ she scoffed.

“Keep your energy up. The last thing we need is another one of us out cold.”

It was not long until Ayla’s hut was visible over the side of a hill- and Crono’s was not. “Seems the bastard was right,” Lucca muttered.

Seeing Frog, Crono, and Robo near the rubble, Marle took to a sprint. As before, Lucca followed, unable to keep up. As they drew closer, it became clearer that Robo was still powered off, that Crono was asleep on the grass, and that Frog had noticed them and was waving them closer.

“My ladies,” he greeted them, bowing his head. “I am grateful for your return, for I’ve need of assistance bringing these two to shelter.”

Already kneeling beside Robo, Lucca pressed his power button. “Why didn’t you just- hm. One moment, he’s not…”

“He’s no power remaining. As good as dead until we can charge him.”

“There’s a port on the-”

“Epoch. Which has vanished. For now, it is best just to bring them both to Ayla’s hut. Please trust me for now. We’ll speak once they’re inside.” Frog sheathed his blade, satisfied he would no longer need to protect them from anyone, and took hold of Crono’s shoulders. “Marle, if you would? We’ll return in a moment to take Robo.”

By the time they managed to lug Robo to the chief’s hut, they found another person awaiting them, crouching over Crono’s corpse-like body. Kino pressed his ear to Crono’s chest, wondering if he would find a heartbeat, and was not fully satisfied with the weak pulse he heard.

“Ayla gone,” he explained numbly. “Kino thought maybe Ayla just go home. Usually Ayla gone with you, but…” Though his words could not express it, his eyes showed his concern and loneliness. He fumbled to pull Crono’s belt off and tossed it aside. “Make breathe better.”

“She’s incredibly strong. She’ll be back before you know it,” Marle promised.

Kino nodded, unconvinced, and carefully pressed his knuckles against different areas of Crono’s abdomen as though checking for something. Once he caused Crono to recoil, Frog stepped forth.

“I can’t claim to have understood it all, but Robo told me it is not safe for anyone to touch him. He wished to handle the diagnoses and treatment-”

“There’s no point,” Marle cut in, “because it’s not a disease at all, but a _curse_ cast upon him by-”

“No,” Kino’s voice was calm, but commanding nonetheless. “Kino see this before. Worm grow inside Crono. Sometimes burst through skin and crawl out. Usually young or weak person have this. Eat bad food, drink bad water.”

A chilling silence cut though the group. It was the first definitive answer they had, but…

“Is there any chance he’ll survive…?” Marle dared to ask, afraid she already knew the answer. Hesitating for a moment, Kino shook his head.

“There must be a way to kill it,” Lucca ventured after a silence far too lengthy, despite knowing it was unlikely. Marle, too, cast her a doubtful glance. “Perhaps with magic? It didn’t exist in this era previously, but maybe… It would have to be carefully controlled, so we don’t rupture his organs, but…”

Frog snapped his fingers. “We’ve just the man to do it, too. You’ll recall we befriended the most skilled mage of his time. I did not think I’d see the day I’d be grateful to Magus!”

“Neither did I…” Marle muttered, exchanging a horrified glance with Lucca.


	5. Chapter 5

The Epoch did not land gracefully, or even in the location Ayla intended to land it, but it landed and crushed no one beneath it, so the Ioka chief saw no reason not to describe her flight as a successful crash.

The apocalypse, she knew, was scheduled for the year 1999. Scientific progress, then, must have hit its safest peak in 1998. It was logical- even a cavewoman could piece it together, she proudly thought. She pulled the key from the ignition and, failing to open the doors, leapt down from the driver’s seat in a swift pounce.

She was close to a city. No doubt she would be able to find the village chief and request their assistance in acquiring proper medicine. And it would not matter if she took a long time, she reasoned- the Epoch would take her right back to the day she had left.

The air smelled wrong. A fire burning rotten wood, she might describe, but she saw no smoke. Odd. But not unprecedented. 2300 AD smelled very much the same. The fiery smell lingered even on Robo.

It was a long walk. The sun was setting as she approached the outer domes of the endlessly spanning city, colouring the sky red. Machines on four wheels sat outside many of the domes and deftly screeched and avoided her on the road. She banged on the door of one of the larger domes.

“Where Ayla find chief?” she demanded.

“What? Are you retarded?” she received as a reply. “Put some real clothes on and take an English language course.”

This was not helpful information, but the door slammed shut before she could either point that out or claw the homeowner’s eyes out. But there were many other domes she had plenty of time to experiment with. She would not judge the entire city on a single rude encounter.

She tried the next house.

“Are you pretending to be from the Jurassic period or- you know what, never mind. I’m not wasting my time.”

She was actually from the Tertiary period, but more specifically, the Paleocene age. This man had no interest in hearing it. She was already locked out.

Eventually she would find someone who knew medicine better than she did. Of this she was confident. She would spend all night and all of tomorrow looking, and if she failed, the next day and so forth. She had all the time in the world.

She slept in a grassy area with benches and the occasional tree or bush. It was not so different than home, she reasoned. Though her hut was a bit more cozy, she was no stranger to the outdoors.

“Do you think she’s showered in the past year?”

“Don’t mock her! Just ignore her. She’ll expect us to give her change if we pay her any mind.”

“Her feet are bloody… Shouldn’t we show her where the doctor’s office is?”

Ayla shot upright. A boy in his young teens was pulling on his mother’s sleeve. Rather than speak a word, she nodded furiously. She had been called illiterate enough times- she did not want these two to shoo her away as well.

“Maybe she can’t speak,” the boy suggested. She nodded again. Untrue, sure, but better not to speak at all than to speak incorrectly.

Displeased she was now involved, the mother turned to Ayla with her arms crossed. “I’ll show you the clinic- nothing more than that. I’ve got a _very nosy_ son to raise,” she added, glancing at the boy with an eyebrow raised.

She nodded once more, accepting the terms, and stood up. The boy’s gaze lingered- he seemed interested in her scars. In the last year of peace, she supposed, few people must have them. He made no comment, though. Maybe it was a faux-pas. Everything seemed to be unacceptable in this time.

To follow the customs of the time, Ayla straightened her back and followed, stiffly but quietly, to the clinic. It was only a short walk, but it would have taken her ages to find it alone. Rather than thank them verbally for leading her there, she picked up the boy and spun him in a grateful hug. This earned her a slap across the face.

“Unhand my son!”

Raising her eyebrows, she dropped him, shrugged, and pushed through the glass doors into the waiting room.

As though she did not have the full attention of both receptionists, she slammed her hands on the desk. “Ayla need medicine. Friend dying.”

“Dying of _what_?” one receptionist asked, incredulous.

“Ayla not know! Ayla not doctor!” She gestured wildly, exasperated. Weren’t they supposed to be the ones to figure it out?

“If you bring your friend here, we can diagnose and treat him,” she replied with impeccable patience. “There is no medicine I can give you to treat ‘dying’.”

“Need doctor come with Ayla. Not bring friend. Too far.”

Behind the desk, the receptionist rested her forehead in her hands, struggling to maintain professional composure. “I’ll… I’ll ask one of our residents. I can’t promise anything. Angela, can you take the rest of- I’ll be back soon- thank you.” Angela narrowed her eyes at the other woman, displeased to have been left to deal with Ayla. She opted not to interact with her, becoming intensely interested in the paperwork behind the desk.

The other receptionist returned minutes later and tapped on Angela’s shoulder. “I- can you phone Horace? He’s the only one not treating anyone right now, but I can’t find him for the life of me. I figured he’s got the best… sense of humour, shall we say, and might be willing to oblige her.”

Ayla impatiently walked in circles around the waiting room, earning the amused glances of patients, while the two made phone calls. A set of photos on one wall struck her as interesting. Each doctor and nurse who worked in the clinic had their photo and name framed. Horace, or _Dr. Horace Chas_ , as she found out, had striking red hair that reminded her of Crono’s.

“Strange,” Angela commented after her third phone call. “It’s as though he’s vanished.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please look up "the grandfather paradox" if you have not already heard of it before proceeding to the next chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

“You kill Crono?” Kino asked, crouching beside Magus. He had not yet left the meeting grounds, and thus was easily found.

He scoffed. “You’ve all gone mad. Nadia’s emotional- what can you expect from _her_ , really- but I’d thought you level-headed enough not to believe her.”

“Not believe her. Only ask you.” Kino shrugged, standing up to turn the roast to cook on the other side. Even unarmed and sitting down, Magus’ glare was cutting, and Kino hated to seem intimidated. “No motive Magus have for kill Crono.”

“Mm.” He did not know how to respond, and thus said nothing. It had been a long time- he supposed Ozzie had been the only one ever to presume him innocent. No matter. “Well, congratulations on your first kill-” he gestured to the roasting boar- “and if you’ve nothing else to blather at me in sentence fragments, good night.”

“Magus not eat any more. Not drink. Same tomorrow.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Some petty punishment for my wrongful accusation? Are you trying to satisfy Nadia?”

“No.” He considered for a moment how to phrase it. “Kino know Magus innocent. Magus not give Crono stomach worm. Magus not eat for safe. Petty punishment is Magus go talk to Marle.” With an impish smile, Kino gave Magus a light shove towards Ayla’s hut, and followed at a safe distance behind him.

(In reality, distance presented no issue to Magus’ spells, but he had no intention of harming Kino. The man seemed more tolerable than the majority of Crono’s… devotees. Especially with Ayla gone, he was reasonable enough and served as decent company to the Fiendlord despite scarcely agreeing with him.)

Marle was nervously pacing the perimeter of Ayla’s hut. Staring at the ground in front of her, she did not see Magus approach.

“Have you something to say to me?” he beckoned.

She balked at the sound of his voice, and though she ceased pacing, she did not look up at him. “Yes,” she replied, uncertain. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

With unwavering hesitance, she continued. “I assumed you cursed Crono and called you a murderer without any proof-”

If she had anything else to say, Magus would not hear it. “You are ever a child. I know what you’ve done. I know not your motive for apologizing when you have never felt the slightest guilt for what you’ve done to me. You want something. What is it?”

“Crono is going to die-”

“I _know_.”

“-unless…” Magus listened, impatient but the slightest bit curious. “Unless you save him. You’re the only one-”

“You’re a fool; I cannot break a curse I did not cast. You nearly had me tricked with your apolo-”

“Will you listen to me?” Marle snapped. “I _know_ it’s not a curse! You’re the only one skilled enough with magic to kill the parasite in his gut without killing _him_. Now tell me, will you help or not?”

“I will not.” Magus’ answer was, in stark contrast to Marle’s voice, calm, emotionless, and crushing. “I’ve not any reason to, have I?”

Shocked into silence for several seconds, Marle tried to protest. “You need our help to slay Lavos! That’s why you joined us in the first place, isn’t it?”

“I’m plenty powerful on my own; I need only a means of time travel,” Magus countered.

“We’d leave you in prehistory if you willingly left him to die!” Marle sputtered.

“Would you? With what time machine? Last I checked the Epoch was gone, and you wouldn’t _believe_ how easy it is to pickpocket the Gate Key.” In truth, he had not taken it, but knowing Kino had stolen their belongings earlier on did not give him confidence in Lucca.

To her credit, Marle refrained from tackling Magus to search him for the Gate Key. Perhaps she saw through his bluff, or doubted she would be able to take him down, or had already lost all hope. “You would leave _all of us_ here? Even after we spared your life?”

“Please. You did not spare me, you recognized I would have won.”

It had never been so obvious as that moment just how much Magus’ silhouette resembled the Grim Reaper. His sickle reflected the light of the moon, blinding onlookers to the face under the cloak. Worse, though, was how calmly he walked away, as though taunting Marle even after the conversation was over. She slowly drew her crossbow, pointed it at his back, and… did not pull the trigger. It would be the simplest thing to heal him- but she could not bring herself to shoot him in the first place.

_You coward_ , she thought first, but reconsidered. _No… it would only make things worse. As it is, there is still a chance to change his mind._

“Wait,” Marle called before he was too far to hear her. He stopped walking, but did not look back at her. Only then did she realize she had not actually thought of what to say. It took her a moment, but she thought of something. “You love Schala.”

Either he did not respond or did not respond audibly. Either way, he had not left.

“I know you do. And, in a different way, you also love Alfador, and in a different way still, I would wager you even love Ozzie, Slash, and Flea.” Something told her he was losing patience. “So I know you understand. I love Crono. And I don’t know how you can wake up knowing Schala and the others are gone from your life, because I know I wouldn’t be that strong. That’s- that’s all, I guess… You can go.”

She leaned against one of the supports of Ayla’s hut as his silhouette faded into the distance, and regretted not shooting him when she had the chance.


	7. Chapter 7

Ayla adjusted the dials on the Epoch to return her to 65 000 000 BC, and found a displeasing limitation. She had spent about eight hours in the standoffish year of 1998 AD, and thus could only return to eight hours past the time she had left. Having expected to return to the precise moment of her departure, this made her heart sink in realization. When she returned, Crono might already have died.

She had decided to return once she found out the pharmacy would not give her medicine and realized the implications of a man several generations down from Crono disappearing. Maybe it was better that she gave up. Maybe this way she would see Crono alive one final time.

Wasting not another second, she warped back to her own time and did all she could to steer the Epoch as close to her hut as possible. This, too, was best described as a crash- a crash not too far from the meeting grounds. With her heart thudding in another horrific realization, she jumped down and checked under the wheels of the time machine.

It was two or three in the morning, she reminded herself as she knelt down to thankfully find nothing. Everyone was asleep. Crono would be asleep as well, recovering in the guest hut that…

Had crumbled to the ground?

Ayla muttered every Iokan swear she knew as she sprinted to the soggy, decimated remains of the home she had built for the time travelers after their first visit to her time period. A week of hard labour was wasted, but infinitely worse, if Crono had been inside when it was destroyed…

“Ayla!”

Kino’s tone was careful- just loud enough to draw Ayla’s attention while just outside the range that would wake the others. He left his position guarding the entrance of her hut to join her and take her hand. “Kino sorry. Fire burn Crono hut. Frog put out fire, save Crono.”

The tension in her expression seemed to dissipate. She laced her fingers through his. “Crono alive all that matter.”

Kino nodded, but avoided eye contact. “Not long time…”

“Ayla know.” She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, determined to be his shoulder to cry on even as her own heart broke. “Ayla fail save Crono. Ayla not bring medicine home…”

“Kino fail too. Kino not know magic, not convince Magus save Crono…”

“Fail together,” Ayla added, a blend of triumph and depression. Kino nodded.

Both knew they would not be able to fall asleep, and without needing to speak another word, they sat together in front of Ayla’s hut, feeling the subtle warmth of the fire on their backs and of the hands they had not decided to separate. Two pairs of eyes were better than one for keeping watch, and better still for stargazing. The moon was full and low in the sky, and a careful eye could make out the glowing outline it made around a dark figure with a scythe. It became uncomfortably easier as he approached. Once he made out the silhouettes of Kino and Ayla outside the hut, however, he turned to leave, apparently deciding whatever he intended to do was not worth the effort if they would try to stop him. Ayla leapt to her feet.

“What Ayla doing?” Kino hissed.

“Strange thing. Ayla curious!”

She ran off before Kino could stop her, giving him little choice but to follow. Her footsteps were enough to alert Magus to her presence, and he swung his sickle and spun around. She managed to stop just as the blade cut the air in front of her.

“Do you not know better than to attempt to strike me?” He did not lower the blade. Kino tugged her backward, noticing the fury in his glare despite his cloak shading his face from the glow of the moon. “Stay out of my way.” Magus pulled a glove off in one smooth motion, releasing frigid light from his fingertips that froze both Ayla’s and Kino’s feet to the ground. “If you’re silent, I shall thaw you out in a few minutes’ time.”

Ayla met Kino’s eyes, a helpless expression crossing her face for the first time in months. He did not dare to speak either, equally as horrified as she was.

Magus tugged his glove back on as he walked silently towards Ayla’s hut. A glance backward would reveal to him that Ayla was attempting to shatter the ice with brute force, but he would nevertheless have continued. He needed only a few minutes, and she would not free herself in such a short time.

He tossed both gloves aside once he was inside, and cast another immobilizing curse upon everyone inside. This was merely to ensure they would not awaken as he worked, and, much like the ice, was completely reversible. The next order of business was to see exactly what he was working with. He took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles, releasing the stress-fueled magic that had accumulated there, before casting the somewhat more difficult spell to make Crono transparent as tinted glass.

“What are you doing?”

Magus’ head snapped up to see Frog awake and afraid. If the curse to keep him asleep had not worked, he must have been awake to begin with. Though his first thought was to use the same spell he had used on Ayla to freeze him in place, he opted not to, and could not explain even to himself why not.

“Murder,” he commented all too casually, leading Frog to reach for the dreaded Masamune. “As you and your friends so like to accuse me. I shall kill the parasite only, however. Lay down your sword. I am capable of turning you into many things worse than a mere frog.”

Frog complied. “You’ve changed your mind,” he breathed, gratitude washing over his face.

“You recall as well as I do the day you refused to fight me. You said slaying me would do you no good, because it would not return life to Crono or Cyrus.”

“I remember.”

“I supposed… allowing Crono’s life to fade would not restore Schala’s. Perhaps it would even be counterproductive.”

Frog nodded. “I underst-”

“Will you be quiet, or shall I cut your tongue off?” A quiet croak sounded from Frog’s throat in fear, then he was silent.

Spreading his fingers and laying them gently on Crono’s abdomen, Magus focused his gaze entirely on the parasite. He adjusted his position carefully, pointing each towards the spiked, writhing focal point.

_If you miss, he will behead you._ For a moment his eyes flickered towards the Masamune. It lay beside Frog, but, true or not, he assured himself he could cast quicker than Frog could draw the blade.

A tiny vortex formed in Crono’s small intestine, and within seconds, it vanished, the parasite trapped within it.

Magus stood up, waved a hand over Crono to dispel the transparency, and once again around the room to remove the sleeping spell. At once, Marle and Lucca awoke, and Magus wasted no time putting his gloves back on and leaving the room.

“What just happened?” Marle sputtered.

“Five more minutes?” Lucca groggily requested.

“He’s going to survive,” Frog spoke, breaking his silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter comes with one (1) free meme, courtesy of my amazing friend who claims they live in the mythical land of "America". Sounds fake to me, but okay.  
> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/386334491741782017/476514362282999810/1533680250554.png


	8. Chapter 8

Marle spent much of the following morning attempting healing magic once again. Now that she could be certain she was not giving the parasite more strength, she was thorough and dedicated. She spent a bit more time on Lucca’s injury as well, ensuring even the scarring vanished.

She was the last one in the hut to fall asleep, but when she did, it was no longer light, dreamless sleep against the side of the hut. Her head rested on Crono’s shoulder and her arm laid across his chest, and when she awoke hours later to the sunlight pouring into the hut, she found Crono’s arms wrapped snugly around her.

 

Ayla and Kino sat on the edge of the river, letting the cool water rush past their ankles. Though Magus had been true to his word and shattered the ice in a burst of warm light within half a minute of exiting Ayla’s hut the previous night, the bruises she had inflicted in her attempts to break the ice and the frostbite that gradually seeped into their skin still remained. Magus was a prodigy only in magic that killed; Ayla knew it well. But she knew also that he would not have bothered to heal the frostbite even if he knew how.

“Ayla want save future,” she proclaimed. “Be Ioka chief boring. Time travel exciting.”

“Ayla better Ioka chief than Kino,” he pointed out.

“Kino stupid. Kino patient, understanding, listening. Ayla not good chief. But love Kino. Ayla save world, then come back, marry Kino. Kino stay chief even Ayla come back.”

Kino sat in contemplative silence for several seconds. “Ayla be safe. Kino love Ayla too.”

 

Robo awoke close to noon. Assessing his surroundings, he found that he was plugged into the Epoch and that Lucca was standing before him. Logic dictated she must have been the one to turn him on.

“Good morning,” he greeted her, not entirely sure it was morning, but not terribly concerned either. “The Epoch is back, I see.”

“It is. To be fair, you wouldn’t be on right now if it wasn’t, so that shouldn’t be much of a surprise.” Lucca brushed her hands off and put a couple tools into a storage compartment on the Epoch. Robo noticed she had oiled his joints. “You missed a lot,” she added. “Most importantly, Crono is healed. We expect he’ll be walking around later today. And you won’t believe this- Magus did it.”

“This is wonderful news!” Robo buzzed. “Do you have enough spare time and energy to tell me everything?”

“I don’t see why not,” she replied, finding a comfortable position sitting beside him.

 

Magus made himself scarce that day- more so than he typically did. He had never been social, per se, but he found he needed time to himself to contemplate his actions. And perhaps these were for the same reason.

He had never held faith in humanity. In his own time, his mother’s greed had shown him no reason to trust anyone, and in the Middle Ages, while fiends appreciated him for his power, humans did not even recognize him as one of their own.

It was fitting that he who found him was not human. Magus raised an eyebrow, silently questioning how Frog had managed to locate him an hour’s walk from the village in a cave behind a cascading waterfall.

“Ah, Magus… You inadvertently heightened some of my senses, you know.” Frog sat beside him, and Magus could not piece together why.

“Janus.” He could barely hear it himself, but he cursed himself for saying it at all.

“What?”

He sighed. “It is my name, you imbecile.”

Frog closed his eyes in understanding. “Might you call me Glenn, then?”

“I’ll consider it.”

 

Kino was waiting for her when Marle finally came out of Ayla’s hut. “Tired?” he observed.

“Yeah, a bit. Consecutive spells take a lot of out of you.” She stretched, somewhat numb from sitting so long. “Did you need something?”

“Marle future chief, yes? How good lead people?”

“Oh, I hope not. Sitting silently in tight dresses, bound to strict rules? It’s awful. Why do you ask?”

A secretive smile crossed his face. “Marle find out after save world. But Marle just like Ayla. Ayla also find chief boring.” He paused for a moment. “Look same too. Same hair. Maybe Marle future Ayla!”

“Then I suppose I’d better bring her home safely, huh?” She patted his back. “Come on, sit down. I’ll take care of that frostbite.”

 

Once Lucca and Frog had each made their way back to the village, Lucca wasted no time tracking him down. “I’ve just finished recounting yesterday’s events to Robo,” she explained, “and it struck me.”

“Who did?” Frog protectively grabbed the hilt of the Masamune.

“No, no. I just have a question. You collected all those leeches, right? And stuck them on Crono after I left the hut.”

“You are correct.”

“What _happened_ with the leeches? They couldn’t have disappeared. Did you- you didn’t _eat_ them.”

Several seconds of silence ensued, before Frog, defensive, asked “What kind of slimy-skinned, inhuman creature do you think I am?”

Lucca pursed her lips and allowed the implication to sink in.

 

Crono walked out from Ayla’s hut. He waved at the others, who were sitting in a circle around a fire for lunch, but did not intend to attract the attention he got.

Ayla’s sharp eyes caught him first, and Marle had to dash after her to keep her from excitedly tackling Crono to the ground. Lucca joined them, Robo alongside her, and Kino jealously approached to tear his girlfriend off Crono.

Magus rolled his eyes.

“He hasn’t _done_ anything.”

“No, Janus. I suppose he has not. But I expect he would like to thank you in person.” Frog stood up and gestured for Magus to follow him. He obliged.

Crono backed up, finding the group a bit overwhelming, until he saw Magus approach. He stuck his sword in the dirt before him and knelt down, bowing his head.

“You’ve saved my life. Is there any way I can repay-”

“Schala. Save hers.”

 

Lucca, having fixed the damage Ayla did to the Epoch, boarded the ship with Marle and Crono. She granted the Gate Key to Magus. With his explanation, six rather than three of them would be able to battle Lavos. He, Ayla, Frog, and Robo would travel to the End of Time, decide on one person to leave behind, and quickly join Crono, Marle, and Lucca inside Lavos’ core using the bucket.

“Ayla be safe. All be safe,” Kino corrected himself.

Ayla pulled him close and gave him a kiss on each cheek. “Protect Ioka village.”

“Kino will.”

Lucca cut in. “Initiating takeoff in five, four…”

“We’d best be going, too,” Magus added, for the first time seeming comfortable adding to their conversations.

The Epoch left the ground in a cloud of dust, and vanished as though it had never been there in the first place.

“Let’s go do the same to Lavos.” Magus strode towards the time gate, and did not need to look back to know Ayla, Robo, and… _Glenn_ were but a few steps behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The section about Frog eating leeches is a tribute to my other amazing friend, who claims to live in Australia. Far out. But literally as well, because as we all know, Australia is located in space. They, too, have contributed a relevant meme.  
> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/388192641365442570/467529729575223296/image.png  
> Thank you again to you two wonderful and dedicated people for your ideas and support!


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